Leica revolutionizes photography with seamless connection between camera and smartphone
The age of digital networking has shaped the successful development partnership between Leica and grandcentrix: The jointly developed device companion app “Leica FOTOS” sets new standards in terms of user-friendliness and seamless integration between Leica cameras and smartphones.
About Leica
Leica cameras have always been witnesses to iconic moments in world history that have become part of the collective consciousness. Leica focuses on the needs of the user. It is the concentration on the essential that creates the myth: Leica products are meant to be tools for special visual experiences that expand the natural limits of perception.
Customer Voice
"For the camera app with the best user experience on the market, we needed a partner who would support us in this vision for the long term. grandcentrix has successfully provided an agile product team for over 100 sprints, which monitors and improves our product in an extremely customer-oriented manner and creates innovative user experiences"
Nico Köhler
Product Management Leica FOTOS
Highlights
Depending on the camera model, the camera connects to the smartphone or tablet via cable, WiFi, Bluetooth, or a combination of multiple transmission technologies. This technically complex approach ensures high transfer speeds and the best possible user experience. Key features include transferring images from the camera to the smartphone in a digital gallery, integrating third-party applications such as Adobe Lightroom, connecting to social networks, remote camera control with thumbnails (tethering), and simplified installation of firmware updates.
The Leica Camera Software Development Kit (SDK) was initially developed to support the full range of 25 cameras, which differ significantly in terms of functionality, communication protocol and transmission technology, with a single app. The SDK provides a standardized interface through which the Leica FOTOS app for iOS and Android can communicate with each supported camera. This approach not only minimizes development costs, but also enables a consistent user interface for all camera models from a single source.
One of Leica's key characteristics is to eliminate the unnecessary and focus on the essential. The app is simple and intuitive to use and a useful addition to the hardware. It is perceived as an enrichment that extends the range of functions and intensifies the interaction with the devices. The app thus also contributes to brand loyalty.
The specialists at grandcentrix have been supporting Leica for 7 years now. The longstanding cooperation has built up mutual trust and the necessary confidentiality in the development of new models, so that today they work together as a well-rehearsed team - the division between client and contractor is hardly noticeable in the daily work. Different agile teams from the areas of camera firmware, SDK and app implement the ideas of product management and user experience experts. Everyone involved thinks and works holistically - always with the customer's needs in mind.